Angela Dufresne is an American painter with a love for ambiguous narratives. Her smeared and blotchy brushwork creates a dream-like weirdness often shared by her subject matter. Some of Dufresne's works are so hilariously strange, it's exciting to think they've traveled to international exhibits.

 Dwarf, Goat, Woman, Man and Head, 2014

As a lesbian growing up in Kansas with her old-fashioned parents, Dufresne "reached the point of realizing that society had nothing to offer [her], and thus [she] had nothing to lose." She decided to pursue art-making as a way of communicating openly about her interests and freeing herself from the impending doom of a mute, servile female role. She recalls, "I wanted to be a storyteller, a punk, an image maker, and a feminist."

Reflecting her anti-establishment personality, Dufresne enjoys sidestepping exact ideals and pretty perceptions in her work, the kind that narrative media often attempts to provoke from its audience. 

She chooses to make emotional rather than researched responses to "revered" images from film and art history, so the result is more abstract and personal than an all-encompassing narrative ready-made for its audience's digestion. 

Mommy Dearest, 2014

I'm really fond of seeing artists who don't put their subject matter on a pedestal to the point of being too stuffy, serious, or fussy with it, and I suppose this is a big part of my attraction to Dufrensne's work; the variety she has in her paintings conveys her interest in experimentation over perfection. I'm entertained by the surprises I find in some of her weirder paintings (men with erections hugging foals), and I can also just appreciate the beauty of her luminescent colors and  lively compositions.

Death of Silence, 2013

I also enjoy her mixing of techniques used to show depth (atmospheric perspective, contrasting values) with intentionally keeping other parts of her work flat (with colors saturated where they should recede and very samey values). This creates an inconsistent space that confuses the eye a bit, adding to the otherworldly appearance of her settings. 

Battle Royale on Ice, 2012

Most of all, I can relate to how Dufresne tends to imply stories with still portraiture rather than showing the actual action taking place. This character-centric interest is present in what I believe are her stronger works.

Girl and Salmon, 2014